Jayalalithaa death: "Ready to face all enquiries," says Sasikala

CHENNAI: The expelled AIADMK leader Sasikala has said that she is ready to face all enquiries against her over the death of former Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa.

Reacting to the allegations of the Arumughaswamy committee after the panel called for an investigation against Sasikala, among three others, the expelled AIADMK leader said "I deny all the allegations levelled against me in the report".

Arumughaswamy Commission constituted to probe the death of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and AIADMK leader J Jayalalithaa has called for an investigation against Sasikala, among three others.

In a statement, Sasikala said, "I am not taking this blame as a big thing. This is not new to me. There are a lot of ways to make me politically weak. But it pains me as they made our Amma (Jayalalitha) death a controversial one. Jayalalitha and I were not siblings but sisters. It was an example of good friendship. We lived our lives like that only." "Now they have made Arumughaswamy Commission report as politics. No matter how many times they probe me but the truth will not change. There is no suspicion of our Amma (Jayalalitha) death. I never interfered in the medical treatment of Jayalalitha. I have not studied medicine. Apollo hospital is not a hospital where they need my opinion to treat Jayalalitha. I deny all the allegations against me from the report. Regarding this, I am ready to face all inquiries on this."

Arumughaswamy Commission of Inquiry constituted to probe the death of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and AIADMK leader J Jayalalithaa has called for an investigation against Sasikala, among three others. The report of the Arumugasamy Inquiry Committee, which probed the death of former Tamil Nadu chief minister and AIADMK leader J Jayalalithaa, was tabled in the State Assembly on Tuesday.

Arumughaswamy Commission of Inquiry concluded that Sasikala, Jayalalithaa's personal Doctor K S Sivakumar, then Health Secretary Radhakrishnan, C.Vijayabaskar who was health Minister then are found to be at fault and an investigation is to be ordered.

Earlier in August, the single-member commission of retired Justice Arumugasamy, appointed to probe J Jayalalithaa's death, submitted its report to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin at the Secretariat after five years. After the demise of Jayalalithaa in December 2016, full-scale politics erupted over the cause of her death and the medical procedures followed during her hospitalisation. Former Tamil Nadu chief minister O Pannerselvam had requested a probe into her death. This led to the formation of the Arumughaswamy Commission.

The Commission was assigned to enquire into the circumstances, health condition and situation leading to the hospitalisation of Chief Minister J Jayalalitha on 22 September 2016 and subsequent treatment provided till her unfortunate demise on 5 December 2016. Arumughaswamy has filed 608 pages of final report in Tamil and 500-page report in English. Over 159 witnesses in relation to Jayalalithaa have appeared before Arumughaswamy Commission and have put forward their points of view.

Notably, Arumughaswamy Commission commenced its investigation in November 2017 with many hearings of close aides of Jayalalithaa and doctors who provided treatment, then Tamil Nadu Health Minister Vijayabhaskar, then Health Secretary Radhakrishnan, then Finance Minister of Tamil Nadu and AIADMK senior leader O Pannerselvam.

Meanwhile, a report by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences' panel of doctors has asserted that the treatment provided to late Jayalalithaa was as per "correct medical practice and no errors" have been found in the care provided. This clean chit provided relief for Apollo Hospital where Jayalalithaa was admitted. The panel found all the final diagnosis and timeline of events of Jayalalithaa's health was fully observed and also agreed with Apollo's treatment and diagnosis.